Brooks on Books: Comedy writers

This week, let's look at two books by, about, for, on, with, about, to, fro--if I'm missing any other prepositions I can use, let me know--comedy and comedians. Both are excellent, both are educational, both are entertaining.

"And Here's the Kicker" by Mike Sacks is a wonderful compendium of, as the subtitle denotes, "Conversations with 21 Humor Writers On Their Craft." It's an addictive read, with nary a dud of a chapter in the whole book. Sacks is a savvy writer who asks good questions and draws good answers. While the subjects are funny people and often provide funny responses, the goal is not to produce a bunch of "bits," but rather a series of informative conversations that offer advice to aspiring comedy writers. There are also sidebars featuring more direct advice from writers to those looking to get into the field. But one need not BE a writer to enjoy "Kicker;" one only needs to enjoy comedy or show business in general. Possessing that simple qualification will make this book a joy to devour.

Perhaps the only flaw of the book is that each chapter is, if anything, a little too short, but you only get that impression because it's so well done. Over the course of the 21 interviews, you get more than your money's worth. Indeed, the breadth of this book is remarkable. Subjects range from young to old, white to black, and male to female. I like "Kicker's" wide range of types of comedy writers included. There are plenty of screenwriters, as might be expected, but there are also scribes like "Mad" magazine's Al Jaffee and a founder of "The Onion." You read the thoughts of cartoonist Roz Chast as well as essayist David Sedaris. You may like some chapters more than others, but you will enjoy the diversity of comedy styles and mediums discussed in here.

The discussions get into the mechanics of writing comedy but remain accessible and easy to read. This book is a great accomplishment by Sacks and a must-read for any comedy fan.

I recently read a separate book featuring one of the comedy writers Sacks interviewed, and I'll post about that one later this week.